Sports: Acker named to CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 First Team, helps team to 2-0 weekend

Sports: Acker named to CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 First Team, helps team to 2-0 weekend

Volleyball: SMU climbed back into the top three in the American Athletic Conference standings with a 3-1 win against Memphis on Friday, Nov. 7 in Moody Coliseum. The win was the 20th of the season for the Mustangs, who improved to 20-5 overall and 9-4 in The American. Sophomore Morgan Heise recorded 31 digs, reaching 30 for the third time this season. Juniors Cailin Bula and Abbey Bybel (above) led the Mustangs with 13 kills and 12 kills, respectively. Junior Avery Acker tallied 46 assists and 13 digs for her 20th double-double of the season.

SMU finished off the weekend with another 3-1 home victory over Cincinnati on Sunday, Nov. 9. Bybel matched her season-high with a team-best 16 kills, and led four Mustangs with at least 10 kills. Young recorded 12, sophomore Janelle Giordano posted 11, and Bula had 10. Acker (left) had a team-high 17 digs and 44 assists for her 21st double-double of the season. Acker was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 First Team, earning the honor for the second consecutive season. She leads the American Athletic Conference and is seventh in the NCAA, averaging 11.61 assists per set. Acker and the Mustangs take a trip to the Sunshine State to face South Florida at 6:00 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 14 and Central Florida at 11:30 a.m. CT on Sunday, Nov. 16.

Men’s Soccer: Senior Damian Rosales (right) scored a pair of goals to help lead the third-seeded Mustangs over the No. 6 seed UCF, 4-0, on Saturday, Nov. 8 at Westcott Field in the American Athletic Conference quarterfinals. The Mustangs wasted no time as junior Idrissa Camara brought the ball down the center of the field off the opening touch and was fouled inside the box to set up a penalty kick just 10 seconds in. Fellow junior John Lujano was called to the spot and converted his fourth penalty kick in as many attempts in the 2014 season.Goalkeeper Michael Nelson picked up his fifth shutout of the season, registering four saves.

Nelson was named the American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year and joins six other Mustangs honored by the conference for the 2014 season. Nelson joined Lujano (both left) on the All-Conference first team and joined defenders Jordan Cano and Jared Rice on the all-rookie team. Rosales, Camara and freshman Mauro Cichero were named second-team selections for the Mustangs. SMU moves on to the semifinals to face the No. 2-seed, Tulsa, at 4:30 p.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 14 in Storrs, Connecticut. The Mustangs and Golden Hurricane split their two meetings this season.

Men’s Basketball: Sedrick Barefield, Jarrey Foster and Malik “Shake” Milton have signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Mustangs beginning with the 2015-16 season.

Milton (G, 6-5, 190) is a four-star guard from Owasso High School in Oklahoma. He was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year in 2013-14 after averaging 28.0 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

Barefield (G, 6-2, 185) is a three-star guard from Centennial High School in Corona, California. He averaged 17.4 points, 4.4 assists and 2.2 rebounds as a junior.

Foster (G, 6-5, 190) is a three-star guard for North Shore High School in Houston. As a junior, he averaged 12.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 1.2 steals in leading North Shore to its first Class 5A state championship.

Women’s Basketball: The women’s basketball team signed four players for the 2015-16 season, including local Skyline standout Dai’Ja Thomas. The Mustangs also signed Karlie Cronin from Vienna, Virginia; Arkansas transfer McKenzie Adams and Stephanie Collins, a third player from the Australian national program.

Thomas, a 6-2 forward from Skyline High School in Dallas, averaged 10 points and seven rebounds as a junior.

Cronin is a 5-9 guard from Oakton High School in Vienna, Va. She started 31 games as a freshman, leading the varsity squad to a 31-0 record and the Virginia state championship.

Adams started all 30 games for Arkansas last season, averaging 8.6 points.

Stephanie Collins, a 6-5 center from Melbourne, represented Australia at the 2012 FIBA U17 World Championship for Women and follows the signing of Alicia and Keely Froling. The 6-2 twins who also competed in the national program.

Men’s Tennis: Junior Nate Lammons (left) fell to Mitch Stewart of Washington, 6-4, 7-5, in the singles championship match of the Jack Kramer Club Invitational on Sunday, Nov. 9. Lammons also reached the semifinals in doubles with sophomore Arkadijs Slobodkins. Lammons won the doubles event at last year’s Jack Kramer Club Invitational. The event concludes the fall season for the Mustangs.

Women’s Tennis: The women’s tennis team opened the new SMU Tennis Complex (right) in dominating fashion, winning seven of nine matches against Wyoming on the first day of the Blue & Red Challenge on Friday, Nov. 7. On day two, the Mustangs tallied five victories against South Alabama, and picked up three doubles wins. Junior Yana Erkeeva and sophomore Mary Wright won all three matches of the weekend. Sophomore Dasha Sharapova won two singles matches and is tied for the team lead with 10 victories on the year. The Mustangs take a break before beginning the spring season with a match against Sam Houston State on Friday, Jan. 30 at the SMU Tennis Complex.

Men’s Swimming and Diving: SMU lost to rival TCU, 173.5-126.5, in its first dual meet of the season on Wednesday, Nov. 12 at the Mansfield Natatorium. The Mustangs earned their first of five victories of the meet when senior Sam Straughan captured the 100-yard backstroke. He also won the 100-yard butterfly. Senior diver Devin Burnett earned two first-place finishes. The reigning American Athletic Conference Diver of the Year swept both the one-meter and three-meter dives.

Women’s Golf: Brigitte Dunne and Haley Tygret (both right) will join the Mustangs for the 2015-16 season after signing National Letters of Intent on Wednesday, Nov. 14. Dunne, who plays at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California. This summer she was crowned champion of the North and South Junior at Pinehurst Resort. She is the highest-ranked signee in head coach Jeanne Sutherland’s three seasons at SMU. Tygret is a standout from North Torrance High in Torrance, California. Tygret was tabbed All-Ocean League while advancing to the CIF Finals as a junior.

Football: Sophomore Matt Davis (left) threw for 212 yards and one touchdown, and ran for another 181 yards and two touchdowns in SMU’s 38-28 loss to Tulsa on Saturday, Nov. 8 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Davis’ 393 yards of total offense tied for 12th in SMU history. His two rushing touchdowns eliminated the Golden Hurricane’s 35-13 fourth-quarter lead, but the Mustangs’ comeback was stopped short. SMU returns home to face the University of South Florida at 7:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, Nov. 15 as part of the Homecoming 2014 festivities. The game is also being promoted as Hats Off To Heroes Day where complimentary tickets and Boulevard tailgate (food and non-alcoholic beverages provided) are available for military service members, veterans, police officers, firefighters, first responders and their families.

Senior wide receiver Stephen Nelson (right) has been nominated for the Burlsworth Trophy, given annually to a Division I collegiate player who began their career as a walk-on and has shown outstanding performance on the field. Nelson, a Beaverton, Oregon, native, is currently third on the team in receiving with 26 catches for 199 yards.